Giancarlo Fisichella of Formula One's Renault team is eager to keep the forward momentum flowing. Fisi has said that he will be out to try and beat the BMW Sauber's of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica this weekend as the team look to continue make more progress.
After a hard start to the season, Renault have found some speed of late and while Fisi is not getting carried away, he will want to build on his solid sixth place finish in France. Speaking ahead of the Silverstone race, Fisi noted that he will have an added incentive in the British Grand Prix too as it is another home event for Renault. "They are quite positive," he replied when asked about his thoughts for Silverstone. "Firstly, for the weekend itself: it is another home race for us after Magny-Cours, with all the people from the factory at Enstone coming to support the team. So of course, a good result for them would be special."
Fisi added, "But also because we have shown in the last few races that we are closing the gap, and we are in the fight. When you are in a situation like that, you want to be racing every weekend, to try and make that little bit more progress. Our fight will be with BMW Sauber again, and the target has to be to finish ahead of them." The German team boasts of powerful race parts - far powerful than the BMW M3 parts - mated to skilled drivers.
As for the Silverstone circuit itself, Fisi said that it is one he definitely likes. "It's a fantastic track, one of the legendary circuits in Formula 1 and really selective for the cars and the drivers," he continued. "The fast corners need real commitment, a very good chassis and a stable balance - which we have now with the R27. It is quite bumpy, and physical with a lot of high g-loads around the lap."
Fisi noted, "A good lap at Silverstone is always satisfying, because the car and the driver both need to be working really well to achieve that. I finished fourth in the last two years, so if we could repeat that result, it would be a great performance for us." The 34-year-old driver is convinced that Renault is closing the gap on McLaren and Ferrari. Notwithstanding an all-Renault third row in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours on Sunday, the reigning constructors' champions came away with just three points from Fisi's sixth place.
Teammate Heikki Kovalainen's race was spoiled by a first-corner incident with the Toyota of Jarno Trulli. Kovalainen finished 15th at the end of the 70 laps. The result led to Renault losing ground in their fight with BMW Sauber for third in the constructors' standings at present, with McLaren and Ferrari dueling at the top.
"Certainly we would have preferred to gain ground on our rivals, rather than lose six points," said Fisi on the competition with BMW Sauber. "We got into the top ten quite easily and then were able to make it an all-Renault third row."
"That is so much stronger than where we were even two months ago. It shows how much hard work is being done back at the factories, and that we are on the right track. We have shown in the last few races we are closing the gap, and we are in the fight," noted the Italian driver. "When you are in a situation like that you want to be racing every weekend, to try and make that little bit more progress. Our fight will be with BMW again."
